Tuesday, February 27, 2018

WASM Prep Week1: Ramping Up

430 kilogram yoke walk - WASM state finals, September 2013
SO FAR, so good.


Everything is holding together, and I'm feeling strong and confident about my abilities going into this competition. Though it is fair to say the loadings for this WA strongman qualifier are significantly lower than they have been in previous years. It actually provoked me to go dig up some pictures from the qualifying rounds I entered in 2012, 2013 and 2014 where 350 to 400 kilogram yoke walks, 140 kilo farmers walks and 300-plus kilo axle deadlifts were par for the course.
140 kilogram p/h farmers walk


400 kilogram yoke walk



350 kilogram yoke walk - WASM qualifier 2012



























There's also been some improvement to my body fat / lean mass ratio according to the Fitbit. This is due to more consistency in my training and a little more discipline with my diet; chiefly, eating more. It's always more.

PULL+ Tuesday February 27th
stretch
Stiff-legged deadlifts:
70 kg x 10
100 kg x 5
130 kg x 5
150 kg x 15 PR
Meadows rows (l&r):
50 kg x 3 x 10 PR?
HS seated rows (p/h):
55 kg x 3 x 10
Seated row machine (underhand):
full stack x 3 x 12
Face-pulls:
plate 11 x 3 x 20
super-set w/DB side raises (p/h):
10 kg x 3 x 10
Cardio:
bike 5 mins @ +50 rpm


EVENTS Saturday February 24th
stretch
Yoke walk:
130 kg x 2 x 20 m
210 kg x 2 x 20 m
290 kg x 2 x 20 m
325 kg x 20 m
Farmers walk (p/h):
30 kg x 2 x 20 m
70 kg x 2 x 20 m
110 kg x 2 x 20 m
125 kg x 20 m

Thursday, February 22, 2018

Pull+ Thursday: SLDL 140 kilos x 15

EMPLOYING stiff-legged deadlifts to work around my hip complaint, until I have it diagnosed and better know how to program. So far so good with a new personal record for reps at 140 kilograms. My best is 200 kilos for seven... I want to try for ten this time around. As I progress with this template I will add a fourth set here and there. Eventually the assistance exercises will comprise twenty working sets and the full routine (plus cardio) will take at least two hours to complete. Tonight I cruised through it in not even ninety minutes.




I am annoyed that I cannot deadlift right now, when my progress has been so promising for the last six months. But I am determined to remain as strong as possible in the interim. 350 is going to happen this year. It is one of my goals for 2018, along with taking another crack at WA's Strongest man.




First I must fix this goddamn hip.




PULL+ Thursday February 22nd
stretch
Stiff-legged deadlifts:
60 kgs x 10
100 kgs x 5
140 kgs x 15 PR
Meadows rows (l&r):
47.5 kgs x 3 x 10
HS seated rows (p/h):
52.5 kgs x 3 x 10
Seated row machine (underhand):
full stack x 3 x 12 TPR
Face-pulls:
plate 11 x 3 x 20
super-set w/DB side raises (p/h):
10 kgs x 3 x 10

Wednesday, February 21, 2018

Press+ Wednesday: Time to Heal

THESE last two weeks have been eventful.

Training has comprised a series of poor, interrupted performances. I thought I'd strained a butt muscle during a deadlift session (a common thing for me, especially when walking yoke on a regular basis) and I experienced some right elbow and shoulder pain while pressing that same week, so I cut each session short and got thoroughly needled.

But as I entered the second week of stalled progress, what I thought was a typical glute strain revealed itself to be hip-related, and so not something that was going to go away any time soon. At first I thought I could still compete at Pro Raw but I reconsidered after weighing my options. What would be the point of spending the coin to go over and perform sub-par in the one lift I'm good at, just to come back to the same rehab and related nuisance I am dealing with now? It would be a waste of my resources and efforts, and only make the injury worse in the process.

My last press session was also crap thanks to whatever I'd managed to do to my right arm while playing around with Wonderboy's monster dumbbell on the weekend. While I managed to grind out four strict overhead reps of a 110 kilo axle they were ugly as hell and I wanted to do better. I did another two reps after a minute's rest which were even worse. And then the elbow pain just wouldn't quit while benching. Another half-finished session under the belt.

110 kilo Axle strict OHP x 4, 2

Perturbed, I came in last Saturday determined to do something worthwhile. I had intended squats, just to test the hip out and see if I could get a better idea of what did and didn't trigger it. But, after ten brisk minutes on the stationary bike, walking around was triggering it just fine.

My next steps are to get my GP to refer me for an MRI and to write up a new program that will allow me to work about the hip issue while staying as strong as possible. Did somebody say stiff-legged deadlifts?

200 kilo Stiff legged deadlifts x 7

PRESS+ Wednesday February 21st
stretch
Axle OHP (strict)
30 kgs x 10
65 kgs x 5
95 kgs x 3
110 kgs x 5 PR
Bench press (paused):
60 kgs x 5
90 kgs x 3
110 kgs x 9 - should have tried for 10
Incline press:
90 kgs x 8, 8, 7
EZ-bar skull-crushers:
42.5 kgs x 8, 8, 7
super-set w/Triceps pushdowns:
full stack x 10, 10, 8
DB front raises (p/h):
12.5 kgs x 3 x 10
HS chest press (p/h):
52.5 kgs x 8, 7, 5
super-set w/HS bicep curls (l&r):
20 kgs x 3 x 10
Cardio:
bike 5 minutes @ +50 rpm

Tuesday, February 6, 2018

Press+ Tuesday: Axle OHP 105 kilos x 6

SINCE my bench press has plateaued already I decided to swap it and prioritise the overhead. I will continue doing max efforts sets till near failure on bench, at the same loading I use on the axle, and focus on staying tight in the pause. I guess the OHP took a lot of pressing strength away... I was sure I could bench more than nine reps of that weight. I reckon I may need my left shoulder needled also: it's not moving as smoothly as it used to.


All the same, I still managed a significant new personal record on the axle. Based on my current progression, I may be repping 120 kilos in a few weeks... a pretty amazing prospect considering I've never properly pressed 120 overhead even once.


PRESS+ Tuesday February 6th
stretch
Incline DB press (p/h):
15 kgs x 10
Axle OHP (strict):
30 kgs x 10
60 kgs x 5
85 kgs x 2
105 kgs x 6 PR
Bench press (paused):
60 kgs x 5
90 kgs x 2
105 kgs x 9 - failed 10th rep
Incline barbell press:
85 kgs x 8, 8, 6
EZ-bar skull-crushers:
42.5 kgs x 3 x 8
super-set w/Triceps pushdowns:
full stack x 3 x 10
DB front raises (p/h):
12.5 kgs x 3 x 10
HS chest press (p/h):
52.5 kgs x 8, 6, 4
super-set w/HS bicep curls (l&r):
20 kgs x 3 x 10

Sunday, February 4, 2018

Pull+ Sunday: 280 kilo DL x 6

IT'S BEEN a prick of a week. Work stresses kept sleep at arm's length and my nutrition was not on point. I caught up on both over the weekend and today finally felt like I was ready for this session.
Once I'd put the weight down after completing that sixth rep I was elated. I roared 'YES!' a couple of times, then lay down on the turf outside for a few minutes.


This was not a genuine personal record for repetitions at this weight. I did this same work in 2015. Only when I did it two and a half years ago I used straps, bounced reps where I could, and hitched as I began to fatigue. This time I used no straps, reset for each rep without hitching or dropping the bar. And I reckon I could have done a seventh if I'd wanted it. But the six were enough today... and I need to keep a little something in the tank for another heavy pull session next week.


Once I'd cooled down a bit I noticed a twinge in my right glute. I will definitely need some dry needling to my glutes and quads in the near future.


PULL PLUS Sunday 4th February
stretch
Deadlifts:
80 kgs x 10
130 kgs x 5
180 kgs x 3
230 kgs x 1
280 kgs x 6 TPR no straps, bouncing, hitching or dropping
Meadows rows (l&r):
45 kgs x 3 x 10
HS seated rows (p/h):
50 kgs x 3 x 10
Seated rows machine (underhand):
full stack x 3 x 10
Face-pulls:
plate 11 x 3 x 20
super-set w/DB side raises (p/h):
12.5 kgs x 8
10 kgs x 2 x 10